Saad Uddin has asked an Indonesian woman to explain a viral photograph showing him and fellow Bangladesh footballer Sohel Rana Jr at a club, with both players saying the image was taken in Nepal rather than Indonesia.
The photograph emerged on social media after Bangladesh suffered a 9-2 defeat by Indonesia in their final FIFA ASEAN Cup group match in Jakarta on Thursday. Bangladesh had already lost their opening two matches and were out of the tournament before the game.
The woman, identified in her social-media posts as Elena, initially published the photograph on X. She later issued another post explaining that the image and video came from an earlier trip to Nepal.
“I want to give an explanation. The photo and video are from Nepal two months ago, where I met professional and genuine friends,” Elena wrote.
She also explained why she had posted material from an earlier trip after the Indonesia match.
“I am sorry if my post caused any misunderstanding. I usually post late because when I travel, I enjoy the moment,” she wrote.
Saad later confirmed to local media that he had asked the woman to make the second post.
Both Saad and Sohel have said the photograph was not taken in Indonesia. They said they travelled to Nepal before joining the national-team camp after signing for Mohammedan Sporting Club, where they met Elena and took the photograph.
Elena also wrote that she had met the two Bangladesh players at a club and that they invited her to watch the Indonesia match.
Saad said she did not attend the game after the players invited her once they arrived in Jakarta.
“The woman and I met in Nepal. After arriving in Jakarta, I invited her to watch the match, but she did not come,” Saad said.
The exact location and date of the photograph have not been independently established. The Daily Star reported that the original social-media posts did not establish when the photographs were taken.
Sohel has expressed regret over the incident, saying it was not the right thing to do.
Saad, however, stressed that footballers also have private lives outside their professional commitments.
“When there is no national-team or club match or camp, footballers also have private lives. What happened before and after the incident should also be considered,” Saad said.
The controversy emerged shortly after Bangladesh suffered their heaviest defeat of the ASEAN Cup. Indonesia led 6-1 at half-time before completing a 9-2 victory, ending Bangladesh’s campaign with three defeats.
Saad has also previously faced disciplinary action. In May 2025, the BFF disciplinary committee initially suspended him for six months after he assaulted match commissioner Sujit Banerjee during a Bangladesh Football League match between Bashundhara Kings and Abahani. The committee later reviewed his petition and reduced the punishment to four matches.
